DUNDALK FC CLUB DIRECTORY Honorary Club President Des Casey Chairman Bill Hulsizer Board Bill Hulsizer, James Baboulas, David Samhat and Des Donleavy Sporting Director Jim Magilton Secretary Padraig McGowan Finance Officer Elaine Duffy Stadium Manager Aaron Lawless Office Manager Ailish Kelly DFC MAGAZINE: ISSUE 13 Media Officer Gavin McLaughlin Community Officer Liam Burns 06: FROM THE DUGOUT Academy Manager Stephen McDonnell Ground Staff John Moore, Jimmy Fisher, Cyril Moore and Stephen Fisher 10: FIRST-LEG REVIEW Commercial Manager Ronan Shields Marketing Consultant Paddy Casey Player Liaison Officer Des Donleavy 16: PLAYER REACTION Press Officer Darren Crawley Club Ambassadors Paul Brown and Andy Connolly 20: INTRO TO VITESSE Event Controller Regina O’Hare Bar Manager Kevin Carthy Office Admin Karen Travers 22: PLAYER PROFILES DUNDALK FC TEAM MANAGEMENT 26: RIP TOMMY CONNOLLY Head Coach Vinny Perth Goalkeeping Coach Graham Byas S&C Coach Graham Norton 34: RETRO: 1990 UEFA CUP Physio Sean Tiernan Doctor Dr Dualtach MacColgáin Sports Science Lorcan Mason 40: EUROPA CONFERENCE Video Analyst Dominic Corrigan Kit Manager Noel Walsh 42: EURO PROGRAMMES DUNDALK FC MAGAZINE 44: FOOTBALL ORANJE Editors Gavin McLaughlin and Paul Dunne Contributors David Farrelly, Tom 46: ARNHEM AWAY O’Connor, Sean De Loughry, Martyn Hindley, Padraig McGowan, Colm Murphy, Jim Murphy (RIP), Gerard 48: GIRLS ACADEMY Mooney Photography Sportsfile, Ciaran Culligan, Mick Slevin (RIP), Derry Journal, The 56: CLUB PARTNERS Argus Artwork Shane Doyle Printers Anglo Printers Drogheda 64: THE NUMBERS GAME Thanks to Ray McManus, Stephen McCarthy (Sportsfile) 68: THE SPECTATOR Programme of the Year 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 70: THE QUIZ Note: The views expressed in this magazine are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily 72: TEAMS & OFFICIALS shared by Dundalk FC...especially The OFFICIAL SPONSORS OF DUNDALK FC Spectator! © 2021 Dundalk FC DFC MAGAZINE | 3 OPENING SHOT November 7th 1979: Dundalk FC captain Dermot Keely, flanked by his Celtic counterpart Danny McGrain, leads his team out for the European Cup second round second-leg tie at Oriel Park. An estimated crowd of 16,300 crammed into the ground to see Jim McLaughlin’s side go agonisingly close to pulling off a famous win. The game finished scoreless, with Celtic going through to the quarter finals thanks to a 3-2 aggregate win. Photo: Jim Murphy Archives 4 | DFC MAGAZINE Dundalk v Vitesse Arnhem | Thursday August 12th 2021 DFC MAGAZINE | 5 FROM THE DUGOUT VINNY PERTH would like to welcome the Amsterdam Arena earlier in the club opened the doors for her and players, staff, and officials from year and is an international for will do the same for many others. Vitesse Arnhem to Ireland. Latvia, Darragh Leahy is an Irish We’ve seen what our rowers are IWhen you travel in Europe, one underage international, Sonni able to do with the right facilities of the things you notice is how Nattestad scored for his country behind them in Skibbereen and if professional and accommodating against Austria in a European you watch the Irish clubs in Europe clubs are. It shows you the Championship qualifier. We have this year, you can see that they standards we need to reach. I have players in our dressing room who can, at the very least, compete in huge respect for the way Vitesse have played in the group stages the right environment. I think we behaved and treated us in Holland of the Europa League twice, we can all get better but the key to it is and I hope we can afford them the have Andy Boyle, Wilfried Zahibo, facilities. If you have 1,000 young same level here. players who were capped by kids at Oriel Park, once a week at It’s going to be a really difficult their country. We have a hugely least, then they’re off the streets, game. Vitesse are really strong experienced squad and players you know where they are, and opposition and this is an extremely who are fully equipped to do it at they’re supporting the club in their difficult tie for an Irish side. They this level of the game. It’s my job local community. With that in mind, are set up to attack. That is their to make them believe they can do it’s important that governments and strength and that is their way it, to seize the moment, and not be local councils back our football and of playing - it always has been. overawed by any occasion they sporting clubs. European football teaches you and come up against. Finally, I’ve heard a few improves you as a coach because Last week’s result extended our comments that this European run of the different systems and styles unbeaten run in Europe. I think isn’t the same as previous years of play you encounter and the way that’s down to a mixture of things. but, quite frankly, that is solely that Vitesse attack is breathtaking Our players are really experienced down to Covid and not having at times. I don’t see them changing in Europe now and they know that people in the grounds. What we from that blueprint but we feel we there are going to be times when did miss in Holland last week was can exploit their weaknesses. they will come across difficult having 700 or 800 people getting I think tonight’s tie will be similar moments in games against teams behind us in the away end. In to the first leg, we will have to from higher-ranked leagues. As Estonia and Holland, we had a soak up some pressure but at well as that, I think League of few supporters who managed to other times we will have to use Ireland players are inspired by get in and it’s amazing how much our quality. What our players have better surroundings in Europe, at you notice them. You look at the shown is that not only will they grounds like the GelreDome, for game in Tallinn, Will Patching ran dig in and fight but they will also example. They always have been. straight to the three Dundalk fans grasp the big moments. It was For us, it’s very disappointing who were in the ground when he Patrick McEleney’s turn last week, that we have to move the game scored! Small things like that make the week before that it was Will away from Oriel Park but we a big difference. We’ve missed our Patching’s, the week before it was have to make Tallaght Stadium, a fans more than other clubs and we David McMillan. The challenge now wonderful facility provided by the really need you behind us tonight. is for our players to step up to the South Dublin County Council, a The buzz around the place and plate again. That’s what European home from home in these games. the goodwill behind the team over football affords Irish-based players. I say this constantly but I don’t the past two or three weeks have These are the nights when think it should solely be a club’s been immense. I’ve really enjoyed memories are made and it’s up to responsibility to improve facilities. being in town for a cup of tea and somebody to make it happen. We obviously have to make certain I’ve seen an amazing reaction Before the game in Holland, we improvements to Oriel Park but from people. There is a feel-good spoke about levels. Are we going football clubs and all sporting factor again and it’s something that up another level against Vitesse? clubs need some assistance. we need to build on, whether we In one sense, we are, but I also We’ve seen the benefits of that in win, lose or draw this evening. We believe that our players need the performances of our Olympic want, and we have, to keep people opportunities like this to show that athletes’ over the past few weeks. on our side because I believe this they can compete at this level. Kellie Harrington is from a socially is a team worth fighting for. Raivis Jurkovskis played at the deprived area and her local boxing Enjoy the game. Vinny Perth. The Official Good Food Partners of Dundalk FC DUNDALK F.C. 2021 HOME KIT AVAILABLE NOW WWW.UMBRO.IE 8 | DFC MAGAZINE Dundalk v Vitesse Arnhem | Thursday August 12th 2021 DFC MAGAZINE | 9 A5 2020 LOI Programme Ads(1).indd 5 22/03/2021 15:24 VITESSE ARNHEM 2-2 DUNDALK FC Last week’s draw in Arnhem extended Dundalk’s unbeaten European run to five games - a club record - but there was still very much a feeling of what might have been. DFC Magazine’s Gavin FIRST-LEG REVIEW McLaughlin looks back on it. here were mixed emotions in the Dundalk dressing room following last Thursday night’s UEFA Europa Conference League thriller with Vitesse Arnhem in Holland. On one hand, there was a palpable sense of pride at Tthe way the Lilywhites, thanks to Patrick McEleney’s incredible double, overturned a one-goal deficit to enter the final five minutes of the game holding on to a 2-1 lead. Hopes of what would undoubtedly have been the club’s greatest ever away result in Europe were dashed, however, when Lois Openda capitalised on a mix-up between Darragh Leahy and Sonni Nattestad to volley home an 88th-minute equaliser. It leaves the tie well and truly up for grabs in the second leg at Tallaght Stadium this evening.